The present invention relates to water delivery assemblies for attachment to a pressurized water supply pipe. The invention is particularly useful for nipple-type water delivery assemblies used in supplying drinking water to poultry, and the invention is therefore described below with respect to this application.
A wide variety of nipple assemblies have been developed for attachment to a pressurized water supply pipe for supplying drinking water to poultry. Generally, these nipple assemblies comprise a housing having an inlet receivable within the pressurized water supply pipe, an outlet, and a valve opening circumscribed by a valve seat between the inlet and outlet. A valve member normally seated on the valve seat blocks the flow of water via the valve opening to the outlet; and a pin extending externally of the housing is engageable by poultry for moving the valve member to produce a flow of water through the outlet.
In the known constructions of nipple assemblies for poultry drinkers, the water supply pipe generally supplies water to the nipple assembly at a relatively low pressure to prevent an excessive flow of water from the outlet when the poultry moves the pin. As a result, the water supply pipe is very sensitive to changes in elevation, so that if there is any significant change in the elevation of the water supply pipe, pressure regulators must be provided at frequent intervals to maintain a relatively low pressure at each nipple assembly. The need for many such pressure regulators significantly increases the cost of installation of the system, as well as the cost of its maintenance and repair.